This invention relates generally to agricultural machines and, in particular, to a machine for conditioning crop material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,528 to S. A. Seymour discloses a conditioning mechanism having a pair of counterrotating rolls which also reciprocate relative to each other. The conditioning rolls are constructed of an outer member formed of rubber and an inner member formed of steel. The outer member is provided with a plurality of lugs or lobes, and the inner member is in the shape of a cylindrical tube. A drawback of the conditioning rolls disclosed in the Seymour patent is that they are too heavy which results in functional problems with the conditioning mechanism.